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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

The Simpsons: Ready to be put down?

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18:36 / 18.04.04

I think recent episodes have shown that it's clearly time for the show to end. Last week's devoted ten minutes of screentime to a really weak horror movie parody, that was just unbelievably formulaic. And a couple of weeks ago, most of an episode was spent on Phantom Menace jokes, I know there's an animation delay, but it's a five year old movie. There's still usually a couple of laughs in each episode, but the overall quality of the show has plummeted, and it needs to be put out of its misery.

Foust is SO authentic

20:19 / 18.04.04

Like a lot of you, i've got seasons 2-7 memorized. I think that's a world wide ritual; quote a line, and the conversation snowballs from there.

But nobody quotes seasons 8 and on. Why? Because the show changed. Radically.

I remember the first time I noticed something was off. It was part 2 of Who Shot Mr. Burns. I remember thinking, "Hm... my spidey sense is tingling." That episode had an unusual tone.

Then soon after came the episode where Lisa developed a crush on Nelson. I remember being really disturbed, and wondering what the hell was happening with the greatest comedy of all time.

It was all down hill from there. I can't even watch the show anymore; I just see red everytime something stupid happens, which is nearly every minute of every episode.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

22:32 / 18.04.04

Even those most fallible episodes cited have at least a moment or two of sheer hilarity (Homer's Self-Made Hold Music, e.g.) which is one more than most shows on the air. Therefore it ought to be kept on the air as long as it pleases.

And there are plenty of quotable, post-8 moments.

Hank Scorpio's episode alone contains dozens of amazing moments; his offering Homer Sugar from his pocket and Homer's subsequent refusal of Cream, Bart's experience in a remedial class (tap, tap, tap, TAP, "Warren!"), just to name two.

Even the seasons everyone is keen to shit on have tons of remarkable moments, a recent favorite is when the gang went to Brazil and Homer and Bart are on the beach. A lifeguard, as they're walking away, refers to them as Americans. Homer asks, "How did you know?" When he turns around to face the lifeguard, you see his t-shirt: Uncle Sam taking a huge bite out of the globe with the motto "TRY AND STOP US". Then there's Homer's attempts to get a badger our of SLH's doghouse and the reveal of the astonishing damage it has wrought.

Truly spectacular.

XXII:X:II = XXX

04:18 / 19.04.04

Here's how it works for me:

1. Simpsons is still the funniest thing on broadcast television. Period.

2. Simpsons 2004 is nowhere as good as, say, Simpsons 1994.

3. Futurama would've been our Simpsons surrogate and allowed Simpsons a graceful exit, but Fox has absolutely zero idea of how to market anything that doesn't market itself, so now Cartoon Network gets a stab at it. Haw HAW!

What does this all mean? For the good of television in general, Simpsons ought to stick around. For the good of The Simpsons, Simpsons ought to be put out to pasture. You decide which is of greater import to you.

I do quote post season 8 lines myself. Also from the Brazil episode:
"You cannot run from Carnivale, because even running is a kind of dance!"
"I AM ON FIRE AND STILL I DANCE!"

Though my favorite line of all time from Simpsons is Homer in traffic school watching the Troy McClure PSA film, featuring horrific accidents and wacky ragtime music. Pan across sea of appalled faces, save a grinning Homer who laughs, "It's funny cuz I don't know them."

Second runner up: Grampa from the original episode with Homer's mom, to Sgt. Joe Friday, "AAAAA, I admit it! I am the Lindburgh baby! Waa! Goo! I miss my fly-fly da-da!"
Friday: "Are you senile, or just stalling for time?"
Grampa: "A little from column A and a little from column B."

XXII:X:II = XXX

04:20 / 19.04.04

Oh, and let's not forget Homer's catchphrase:

"Aaaaa, COBRAS!"

Our Lady Has Left the Building

06:51 / 19.04.04

I don't think it's that bad these days, of course my brain might be affected by Sky showing THE SAME EPISODES FROM THE FIRST FEW SEASONS AGAIN AND AGAIN and then showing one new episode every couple of weeks.

The only shows I do't care for much are where The Simpson's go to other countries. But I guess the show is full of stereotypes anyway and when they have to use foreign ones it just compunds this. The recent one to Britain was just stupid in all forms ("Hi, I'm Tony Blair, I'm taking time out from organising the bombing of a middle-eastern country to record some lines to try and be more popular with the kids") except for the nice Trainspotting sequence.

Favourite scenes? The movie episode where Mr Burns is discussing a film about himself: "I'm just like Oscar Schindler, we both made shells for the Nazis but mine worked damnit!"

The length of time between something and The Simpsons parodying it doesn't matter, The Simpsons doesn't make claims to being particularly contemporary, or would you like to complain about the Psycho parody in one of the early seasons, or King Kong in one of the Hallowe'en shows?

13:30 / 19.04.04

The length of time between something and The Simpsons parodying it doesn't matter, The Simpsons doesn't make claims to being particularly contemporary, or would you like to complain about the Psycho parody in one of the early seasons, or King Kong in one of the Hallowe'en shows?

Psycho is a staple of society, and hence is always ripe for parody, as is the original Star Wars. But, even though I don't think it's a bad movie, The Phantom Menace is sort of gone from the cultural consciousness right now, and has been parodied to death. It's sort of like bringing out a Sixth Sense parody, it seems more dated than if you went back and parodied a classic. Especially considering the show was running 1999, if they had these great Phantom Menace jokes, do them then.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

13:38 / 19.04.04

They have to draw them, you know! Utilising hands!

The Simpsons should stay. It's always worthwhile, or at least entertaining, and comforting.

Thankfully, I doubt they'll be letting up any time soon.

16:12 / 19.04.04

The Simpsons is just like the Charlie Brown comics in the newspaper: its been running so long that all the jokes are stale and repetative but it's still being run because people are used to having it around and feel some sort of loyalty to it. It seems the only shows I laugh at are the old repeats. This show has not only jumped the shark its using the shark as trampoline while it plays the longjump with a pogostick.

They should have a every person gets killed episode.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

16:28 / 19.04.04

The Simpsons is just like the Charlie Brown comics in the newspaper: its been running so long that all the jokes are stale and repetative but it's still being run because people are used to having it around and feel some sort of loyalty to it. It seems the only shows I laugh at are the old repeats.

I think you're looking for the thread on The Family Guy. A common mistake.

It's pretty clear that The Simpsons, even in its twilight years, is funnier than most shows out there. Why should it be put down because it used to be funnier? It's still fundamentally funny.

And I don't see any repetitive or stale jokes, simply further explorations of its numerous premises, nearly all of them still ripe for juicy comedy.

Last night, for instance, we saw the continuing triangle of Edna, Principal Skinner and Skinner's Mom. There's still a million ways to show Skinner's patheticism and still have it be funny, but they even had a great bit showing a potential future where Mrs. Skinner has had her head grafted onto a cybernetic spider's body (funny). She orders Skinner to clean up her larva (funnier). Skinner asks Edna if he could use her purse to do it (FUNNIEST).

Lenny and Carl will always be funny no matter what they do. For instance, this week again, they had the quaintest argument about a refusal to give backrubs.

Just because you no longer find it funny does not mean it has stopped finding new ways to explore its myriad premises.

17:54 / 19.04.04

.And I don't see any repetitive or stale jokes, simply further explorations of its numerous premises, nearly all of them still ripe for juicy comedy.

Its flogging a bloody dead horse. Ha Ha Lenny and Carl have some sort of weird relationship, ha ha Skinner is a looser who's whipped by his mom. Yawn. If you find thirty million ways to say the same things its still the same damn thing.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

20:22 / 19.04.04

But you're wrong.

I don't laugh at the repeats much now because I've seen them so many times, and the ones where the animation/voices are noticeably poorer aren't even enjoyable anymore.

The Simpsons still hits my giggle spots more often than not, and I shall not hear this foolish talk sully it any longer. Oh, I'm sorry, is it not the show you had when you younger? Get over it!

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

03:46 / 20.04.04

I agree with the 'Simpsons Staying=better for television, worse for Simpsons' v.s. 'Simpsons Leaving=worse for television, better for Simpsons' and the decision it forces you to make. The glory years may have ended, but what the hell, it still makes me laugh. Everything changes. No point in bitching about it, I guess.

11:21 / 20.04.04

I agree with Jonny O. Each new series gets worse and worse as the plots get more and more nonsensical. This will continue till everyone moans and moans about how the Simpsons is rubbish and how they should have finished it years ago. However even with this down turn in quality the Simpsons remains more subversive and entertaining than pretty much any other series being made today. I do feel that some character development, such as the characters aging or something, might free the show from the doldrums that it's in at the moment.

05:19 / 23.04.04

There have been some episodes that just aren't funny recently, but as has been said, there are some classics still being broadcast:

The season finale last year (or was that the year before) which ends with the cast all joining hands and singing 'O Canada!'

A couple of weeks ago, when they went to the movies, the posters in the background: 'You're in the Matrix Charlie Brown!' (with Charlie Brown in sunglasses) and 'Matrix Christmas', showing Neo with a santa hat... okay, I thought it was hilarious...

11:58 / 25.04.04

Last I heard was that it will end with season 17 followed then by a movie.

I'm collecting the dvd-box sets and will continue this at least until I own season 9. Because IIRC season 9 features the episode in which Homer has to collect his car that is wrongly parked between the two towers of the WTC. Very hilarious and I always wonder if this show has ever been repeated since 9-11 ...

Simpsons isn't the only animated show that brings forth subversion. E.g. : Duckman (!!!), 1st Ren & Stimpy, Stressed Eric, ... Why haven't these become as popular as our yellow friends?

XXII:X:II = XXX

03:25 / 26.04.04

I don't think they show "Homer Simpson vs. The City of New York" anymore, at least not in the US. I'd be able to handle it, but I don't everyone could, and you can't really take out the WTC since much of the action happens there.

BTW, tonight's ep had a new classic line from Homer, with him and Marge dancing down the hallway of their hotel, him singing to the tune of Miami Sound Machine's "Do The Conga":

C'mon, baby, let's go have sexual congress
Not the kind of Congress that includes Paul Tsongas

I think I swallowed a booger at that moment. Mmm, inhaled booger.

VJB2

09:53 / 26.04.04

I don't think they show "Homer Simpson vs. The City of New York" anymore, at least not in the US. I'd be able to handle it, but I don't everyone could, and you can't really take out the WTC since much of the action happens there.

no, they're still showing it. i just saw it like a month or two ago.

overall, it seems pretty hit-and-miss lately, but when it hits it's still every bit as funny as it used to be.

A

03:18 / 27.04.04

I think that you can pinpoint the exact moment that the Simpsons began it's downhill slide. The very first appearance of "Gill". Gill is just a lame sitcom character. He's pathetic, always sucks at his job, and never wins and that's the entire joke.

Consider how interesting and well-rounded almost all Simpsons background characters have been over the show's history, and then compare them to Gill. He's entirely one-dimensional and there is only one joke in the character, which isn't even a funny one.

I think there's only one way for the Simpsons to regain it's former glory- Kill Gill.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

10:26 / 27.04.04

I love Gill! You just pointed out the entire hilarity of Gill! Get with it!

12:35 / 27.04.04

Gill is the best! He always makes me laugh... he's based off of Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross, isn't he? (I've never seen it, just heard...)

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

14:06 / 27.04.04

I was almost a bit tired of Gill. Then they blew his car up. Twice.

Gill? He's the man.

Now I'd like to see them do Kill Gill. Close up shot of Marge on the floor of the Springfield Church. A shakey hand enters the frame with a bandana hankie with the name Gill written on it in Magic Marker, wipes her face.

"Aw, jeez. This, ah, this is me at my most masochistic. Aw, man my gun salesman is gonna kill me!"

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

01:56 / 28.04.04

I love you too, Birdie.

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